New York City residents Madeline Park started the Cafe Maddy Cab initiative on April 2 after being terrified of commuting due to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. The initiative provides those in need with funds for safer transportation options within New York City. 

People fill out an online form and place a request on Venmo to get their ride fare reimbursed for up to $40. Nearly two days after Park started the organization, she raised over $100,000 from donations. With Cafe Maddy Cab growing quickly, Asian people — including women, the elderly, and LGBTQ people — have received a safer transportation alternative. 

Her idea spread to other cities, such as San Francisco and Boston. This service would be helpful in Syracuse, too, as anti-Asian hate exists here as well. Two people reportedly directed anti-Asian language toward a Syracuse University student on Feb. 27, and notes that contained racist language against Chinese students were found in at least three university buildings on March 11.

Yen Peng, a senior at SU, shared her fears and concerns caused by the anti-Asian hate incidents. The rise in hate incidents is scary, she said, because she thinks about her parents also being in danger. 

“It’s really disheartening because no one really talks about it besides Asians ourselves. It’s really sad because Asians are just preaching Asian awareness to other Asians,” Yen Peng said. “Can anyone else care?”

It would be beneficial for the Asian community to receive a similar service such as Cafe Maddy Cab to keep SU students and Syracuse residents safe when they’re commuting. 

The Department of Public Safety currently offers walking and shuttle escorts for students who feel unsafe. But not all students feel safe interacting with DPS. If there were a service similar to Cafe Maddy Cab in Syracuse, sophomore Emmy Naw would prefer that it isn’t associated with DPS. 

“Even with DPS, sometimes people feel uncomfortable. I mean, are they really here to help us?” Naw said.

Sophomore Alexis Peng also doesn’t feel safe interacting with DPS, both as a student of color and in light of the department’s interactions with students of color. 

Junior Karen Lin feels hopeless and angry about anti-Asian hate incidents, and she wishes she could do more about it.

“Every time I read about it, I think about my mom, who takes public transportation to work, and how she works at a nail salon. What if I, one day, get a text from my brother about my mom being in the hospital?” Lin said.

Lin said she would not use the Cafe Maddy Cab service, as she doesn’t want to take away the opportunity from Asian community members who are in more need. 

“That’s always something that haunts me in the back of my head, or when really old people get attacked on the streets — I think about my grandpa. He still works, and I worry for him too because he’s such an easy target,” Lin said.

The pandemic has sparked an increase in hate crimes toward Asian people in the U.S. Asian people’s safety is a concern beyond the city of Syracuse. A service such as Cafe Maddy Cab would be beneficial to Asian community members in Syracuse.

Ivana Xie is a junior writing and rhetorical studies major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

Published on April 28, 2021 at 11:36 pm

Contact Ivana: [email protected]